Moonlight Left Behind chapter 6
The previous day, they had visited so many places that both of them were exhausted, so that day’s itinerary was much more relaxed. They went to the peach grove in the morning to eat peaches, and in the afternoon, they went to Jiuli Alley.
Jiuli Alley was a famous food street on Coral Island, with almost every lane hiding local East City snacks and Coral Island specialties. The two of them strolled slowly, snacking along the way and buying some local products.
When they returned to the guesthouse, dusk had just begun. Someone was sitting in the small courtyard eating ice cream. Lin Qinzhou glanced around but still didn’t see Xiao Yao; she was probably returning tomorrow. Qin Yue wasn’t in the lobby either, possibly already back in his room.
After showering, it wasn’t even 7:30 yet—way too early to sleep. Lin Qinzhou made himself a cup of coffee and took his guitar out to the small terrace.
The guitar hadn’t been used in over ten years, but it was still in perfect condition. There was no warping or rusting on the strings. Lin Qinzhou could tell that Qin Yue had taken good care of the guitar, and this realization deepened his appreciation.
He tried loosening the strings a bit and realized the guitar could still be played, and the sound quality was quite good. Without thinking, he played a short tune.
It wasn’t until he finished that he realized he had played the song “Rest of My Life.”
—He had never played that song anywhere but Coral Island. If it weren’t for returning here and seeing this guitar, he might have forgotten he even wrote that song.
“Hey! Upstairs! You play so well, come down and play for us!” A lively female voice called out.
Lin Qinzhou looked down and saw the girl who had been eating ice cream in the courtyard earlier. She was now joined by another girl and two boys—likely two couples who had just finished their college entrance exams.
When the girl caught Lin Qinzhou’s gaze, she waved at him again and shouted, “Come down and play for us, handsome!” The others joined in, “Yeah, come down and hang out! You’re so cool!”
Lin Qinzhou really went down.
After receiving the guitar as a birthday gift, he often sat under the big banyan tree, playing guitar and singing, just like now.
His grandma would take out the watermelon from the fridge, cut it into slices, and wait for him to finish singing, so he could eat. Sitting beside him was his grandma, along with a little friend whose face he couldn’t quite remember.
Sometimes, they ate various shaved ices: mango, watermelon, coconut milk, red bean and green bean… except for the red and green bean ones that Lin Qinzhou didn’t like, everything else was delicious.
But that little friend seemed to not be picky at all, always finishing the red and green bean ice that Lin Qinzhou didn’t want.
So what did that little friend look like? Even though so many memories involving them had come to mind, why couldn’t he remember that little friend’s face?
Lin Qinzhou felt a strange restlessness in his heart. He felt like he had forgotten something important, but had no way of finding where it began.
At first, only that group of students was in the courtyard. Slowly, more people were drawn out by Lin Qinzhou’s guitar playing, leaving their rooms to sit on rattan chairs or directly on the ground.
Just as the second song was finishing, Qin Yue and Tang Jingyu came out, followed by Xiao Yao, who had somehow returned.
The three of them seemed to have planned it, each carrying two large watermelons, and a few bottles of fruit wine. Boss Qin held a tray with a fruit knife and wine glasses. They piled everything onto several round tables, inviting the guests in the courtyard to join in.
Everyone gathered around, eating watermelon while listening to Lin Qinzhou sing. Only Qin Yue sat far away, watching him through the crowd.
“That was great! Another song!”
“One more song!”
“How about a hundred more songs?” While others politely asked for one more, a young man who had just come downstairs boldly asked for a hundred, leaving everyone in laughter. The crowd chimed in, “Yes, yes, a hundred more!”
Lin Qinzhou smiled helplessly. A hundred songs? His voice would be gone before then. Even big-name singers at concerts with tens of thousands of people don’t sing like that.
“There aren’t a hundred songs, not even ten. I’ll just sing one last one.” He knew Qin Yue went to bed at 7:30, and if he sang any longer, it might disturb his rest.
“Aw, come on, one more is not enough!” protested the girl who had called him down. Lin Qinzhou smiled, pressing his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. “Let me think, what should the last song be?”
But his fingers seemed to have a mind of their own. Before he could think, they started moving, playing a familiar melody.
It was The Rest of My Life.
Earlier upstairs, he had only played a small part, but now he played the entire song. Though he hadn’t played it in over a decade, it was as if the song was carved into his body, the melody flowing effortlessly from his fingertips.
“…A summer day, some time ago, the breeze rustling through the sycamore leaves, You burst into my sight like a rainbow in a fairy tale. The sea breeze blows gently, and the boat crosses the sea. Sunshine, beaches, ice cream, sand, seashells, postcards… You are my spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the rest of my life…”
As he sang, Qin Yue’s face appeared in his mind, though it seemed younger than now. But that image quickly faded, replaced by the present-day Qin Yue.
Even though they weren’t far apart, Lin Qinzhou felt like he couldn’t reach him, like he missed him.
He lifted his gaze, looking through the crowd, meeting the eyes of the man in the wheelchair.
Zheng—
Lin Qinzhou plucked the wrong string, and the string broke.
A sudden tightness gripped his heart. “Sorry, the string broke. I can’t play anymore.”
He had been playing guitar for over half an hour, making his earlier shower pointless. After returning to his room, he took another shower, but just as he came out, he heard a knock on the door.
“Mr. Lin, are you there?” It was Xiao Yao’s voice.
“Coming.”
“Mr. Lin, I brought you some band-aids.”
When the string broke, it had cut Lin Qinzhou’s finger. He hadn’t thought much of it and didn’t feel any pain, but Xiao Yao had noticed and thoughtfully brought him band-aids. Lin Qinzhou took them. “Thanks.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. Actually,” Xiao Yao lowered her voice and covered half her face with the back of her hand, “it was our boss who told me to bring them. Otherwise, with how careless I am, I wouldn’t have noticed.”
—It was Qin Yue.
“Why keep it a secret?” Lin Qinzhou smiled. “Did the boss forbid you from saying anything?”
He was just joking, but Xiao Yao nodded. “Yeah, yeah, the boss specifically told me not to mention him when he gave me the band-aids.”
Why? What’s wrong with mentioning him? Asking an employee to bring band-aids—what’s so embarrassing about that?
“Please don’t tell our boss,” Xiao Yao said quickly. “He might dock my pay.”
Lin Qinzhou couldn’t help but laugh. “Would someone like Boss Qin really dock your pay?”
Xiao Yao looked like she had been through hard times. “Of course! Our boss is a total penny-pincher. When it comes to money, he’s relentless. If anyone tries to get any perks from him, hmm—” She snickered, “They can forget it.”
“No way.” Lin Qinzhou didn’t believe it. In his eyes, Qin Yue was like a celestial being, too far above such worldly concerns. A celestial being wouldn’t be interested in money matters.
Wouldn’t the proper image of Boss Qin be a person indifferent to money, unwilling to bend for worldly things, content to run a peaceful guesthouse here.
“I knew it! People here are deceived by his looks! Whatever, I’ll just bear the burden alone, like a fragile little flower,” Xiao Yao sighed dramatically.
Lin Qinzhou couldn’t stop laughing: “Which people are you referring to? There are a lot of us.”
“Exactly.” Xiao Yao rolled her eyes subtly but didn’t say more. “Alright, Mr. Lin, I won’t disturb you anymore. Have a good rest!”
Lin Qinzhou: “…”
He had been hoping to get some gossip about Boss Qin, but the conversation ended just like that. How am I supposed to sleep now?
A little jealousy welled up in his heart. From Xiao Yao’s tone, Boss Qin was definitely popular. Well, of course, with a person like that, who wouldn’t like him?
And Lin Qinzhou liked him very much.
After almost thirty years, his heart was set on Boss Qin.
“Alright, see you tomorrow.”
Author’s note
The lyrics are nonsense, totally made up, don’t take them seriously.